


The Light Is Born Every Day

by Estirose



Category: Zero | Project Zero | Fatal Frame Series
Genre: Distant Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 04:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2838575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miku gets a midnight visit and an unusual offer from a distant relative.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Light Is Born Every Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FireEye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireEye/gifts).



> I've probably taken some liberties with the Fatal Frame II timeline in regards to the Kiryu twins being older than Ryokan and his brother. Also, probably everybody's related to some degree there, so Miku being related to the Kiryus wasn't so far-fetched.

The last thing Miku expected was to see on her way to the bathroom was to see two ghostly little girls playing tag in the downstairs hallway. Actually, she wasn’t too sure about the game being tag; sometimes one of the little girls seemed to be a bright red, almost ghostly butterfly. She sighed, knowing it was probably just a momentary apparition, but checking just in case it wasn’t. Seeing the girls disappear into the altar room, she followed them.

And then at the doorway, she stopped abruptly as the two girls – as well as a slightly older man – stopped and stared at her. She wondered if she should hurry upstairs and get the Camera Obscura, since it had been restored. Or at least she, Rei, and Kei were pretty sure it was – at least it seemed to take photographs pretty decently. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry,” the man said, standing up and bowing. “We don’t know how we came to this place.”

“It’s all right,” Miku said automatically. Figuring none of the trio was going to attack her, she took a look at them, noticing that the girls seemed almost twins. “You must have traveled a long way to be here. Would you like some tea?” She had no idea if he had realized that he and the girls were probably long dead. 

“Thank you,” the man said. “Who may I ask is hosting us?”

“My name is Miku Hinasaki. The house actually belongs to Rei Kurosawa, who kindly took me in when my own family died.” She smiled. “She’s asleep right now, but part of my duty is to provide hospitality to guests.” If she guessed correctly, he wouldn’t question a servant’s standing orders. “And you are?”

“Yoshitatsu Kiryu. My daughters, Akane and and Azami.” He motioned at the two girls. Azami was the one turning into the butterfly at random times. “Thank you for your kindness despite our rudeness.”

“You’re not our first sudden visitors.” She smiled at him. “I’ll make some tea for all of us.”

“Thank you,” he said simply. She figured that there wasn’t anything that would happen in the few minutes it would take to make tea, and so she left their spectral visitors alone. 

It didn’t take long to make the tea, thanks to modern appliances, and she was soon back to her visitors. She placed the tray with the teakettle and the tea on the table and served Mr. Kiryu and the twins.

Mr. Kiryu looked for a moment at the cup, trying to touch it with his hand. “I… it’s been a long trip, indeed. Which family are you from? I don’t recognize your family name.”

The girls had resumed playing tag, darting in and out of the walls. “I’m not from your village. This is a city – you probably haven’t heard of it.” She took a deep breath, not sure she wanted to ask the question that had arisen from the twins’ looks. “Where are you from? What village?”

“All Gods’ Village,” he said simply. “You have the local look, that’s why I asked.”

It was what she thought, this strange coincidence. “My great-grandmother came from your village. But she eloped with a traveling folklorist and they moved to the Himuro Valley area.” It was a vastly simplified version of what had actually happened – or at least what she knew of happened – but it would work. 

He nodded. “What family was she from? There aren’t that many.” There was a smile on his face, and he seemed to be a gentle man. Behind them, there was a shriek of laughter as one of the twins tagged the other.

“By some coincidence, they were Kurosawas. All I know is my great-great-grandfather’s name was Ryokan.” Mio had been willing to tell her that much, at least.

“Then we are likely cousins, you and I.” He nodded. “My mother’s younger sister married into that family, and one of her sons is named Ryokan. He’s only two years old, though.”

He didn’t speak of the rituals of the Village, and neither would she, out of courtesy. Besides, she’d had enough of rituals to last a lifetime now. “It’s good to find family, then. Most of mine is dead.”

Not that he wasn’t dead, of course, but he seemed nice at least. “Yes, I agree. Perhaps I am here to guide you in some way.”

Perhaps he was. She wondered how Rei would take having a permanent ghostly guest, or nearly so. “Do you know anything about crafting?”

He laughed, and it was a nice laugh. His daughters stopped their game to almost stare. “I am a dollmaker by trade. What would you like to know?”

“I make things out of paper,” she said. They were a mismatch of craft types, and yet she felt her mood pick up a little bit. He was family, and he was willing to be helpful at least. “But I’ve thought of working with mechanical things. Do you know anything about them?” She wanted to be able to fix Camera Obscuras if she needed to someday. Besides, she remembered vaguely that Mio’s notes had included something about a dollmaker who’d worked with mechanisms. Maybe he was the same person.

“I’ve worked with some Western mechanisms.” He nodded at her. “I can help you with those. I intended to apprentice someone someday – perhaps it is time for me to do so.”

It was something she never would have imagined, and certainly something that Rei would never have, either. “When Rei wakes up,” Miku said, “I’ll ask.” 

She wondered if Rei would say “no”. After all, it wasn’t Miku’s house. It wasn’t Miku’s choice. But Rei might go for it, just because Mr. Kiryu was family, of sorts. Maybe it wouldn’t be the best idea to tell Mio, though. The girl was traumatized enough.

But if he had been drawn here because she needed someone, she hoped he stayed around. She was still figuring out what to do with her life, and being apprenticed to a dollmaker from her ancestors’ village? That wouldn’t be too bad. It was a much better choice than some.

“Here, drink tea with me, until she wakes up,” Mr. Kiryu said, and Miku did, talking with him until dawn.


End file.
